| One of the best areas to scuba dive within North | | | | the communities along the Keys and range from |
| America is in the Florida Keys, a long string of islands | | | | simple motels all the way up to high end resorts. Many |
| just south of Miami. For any scuba diver traveling to | | | | have special packages just for scuba divers where |
| southern Florida, even a quick day trip to the Florida | | | | there's an arrangement with one of the local dive |
| Keys is worthwhile. There's great scuba diving all along | | | | operators. There's also relatively inexpensive |
| the Keys from the first community of Key Largo, | | | | accommodations in Florida City which is the closest |
| through to the middle at Marathon and all the way to | | | | community back in the Florida mainland about 20 |
| the end where Key West is located. One can get to | | | | minutes from Key Largo. After the day of diving, there |
| Key Largo in about 45 minutes from Miami and the | | | | are lots of restaurants serving fresh seafood for even |
| protected Pennekamp marine park in the surrounding | | | | the hungriest of divers. |
| waters offers much more marine life to see than the | | | | Another attractive feature of Florida Keys diving is the |
| waters off Miami or Fort Lauderdale. Key Largo in | | | | cost. Especially for the quality of the dive sights, the |
| particular is a scuba diver's town with numerous dive | | | | cost of diving here is lower than in many of the |
| operators and some retailers who carry diving | | | | Caribbean destinations like the Bahamas and Cayman |
| equipment and gear. | | | | Islands. For those who are not ready to try scuba |
| One of the great things about scuba diving in the | | | | diving, there are some decent sites to snorkel in the |
| Florida Keys is the variety of dive sites for every level | | | | Keys including one of the best in the U.S. at Looe Key. |
| of diver. Many of the nicest coral reefs loaded with | | | | The marine life that can be seen here has convinced |
| fish are located in beginner level dive sites like | | | | quite a few snorkellers to finally pursue scuba diving |
| Molasses Reef and French Reef. With depths of 30 | | | | certifications. The Florida Keys has enough other |
| to 50 feet, these are perfect dive sites for newly | | | | activities to do besides scuba diving to keep non-divers |
| certified scuba divers as well as those who wish to do | | | | busy. There's interesting shopping, water sports, |
| night dives. There's even some good wreck diving in | | | | beaches (near the western part) and even two places |
| shallow dive sites like the Benwood wreck where the | | | | to interact with dolphins. Of course, there's also the |
| resident marine life will not disappoint any diver. For | | | | funky scene at Key West. |
| more advanced divers, there are some spectacular | | | | The one aspect about scuba diving in the Florida Keys |
| deep dives featuring large wrecks like the Duane, a | | | | that some divers may not like is that the dives are not |
| former coast guard ship sitting upright. The most | | | | guided by divemasters from the various scuba |
| recent ship that was sunk for scuba diving is the | | | | operators. Divers who are used to following a local |
| Spiegel Grove which again is for advanced divers. | | | | divemaster like the diving in destinations like Cozumel, |
| Many scuba divers from North America and other | | | | will just have to team up in buddy groups here in the |
| parts of the world come to the Florida Keys for their | | | | Keys. Despite this drawback, the Florida Keys still |
| open water certification dives as well as more | | | | offers great tropical scuba diving without leaving the |
| advanced training. Accommodations are plentiful right in | | | | USA. |